STUDIO 75

“Haggerston is first recorded in the Domesday Book as Hergotestane, possibly of Viking origin, an outlying hamlet of Shoreditch. By Rocque’s 1745 map of Hackney, the village is shown as Agostone and had by the 19th century become part of urban sprawl, with streets of workers’ cottages and factories lining the canal.”

What is is, is a part of London close to the City, but historically deprived. It’s cheek by jowl next to trendy Shoreditch, but it’s really not trendy. Haggerston does not have many claims to fame but Edmund Halley, astronomer, was born here and it did give birth to a Nobel prize winner. It’s a quiet place where not much happens. It’s also where our studio is.

Studio 75 is not the only art space in the locale – the Drawing Room is down the road and there are other studio groups. We’re kind of trying to make connection with local people though, since we live here and we’re not just after cheap space.

To ths end, Nazir took on an opportunity by the Housing Association who owns our building, L and Q, to paint a huge mural on the hoarding of one of their building projects. It’s fantastic, coz big walls aren’t easy to come by in London.

National and International exchange between artists is a vital and energizing experience, and it’s one of the things we wanted Studio 75 to facilitate. In June the first international exchange will take place at the studio: the visit of artists based in Valencia, Spain.

The space we’re exchanging with is La Clinica Mundana, and it’s organised by two curators, black duck and Red Nomade. The artists who will be exhibiting are from Spain and Argentina: Daniel Granero, Claudia Martinez, Ima Picó, Cristina Ghetti and Paula Bonet – and there will also be a video screening. The work is graphic and bold, quite in the spirit of Studio 75 and it’s going to be exciting.

In September we’ll go in turn to the beautiful city of Valencia and show our work there.

The studio turned into a mural workshop this week as Nazir made a giant mural for a hoarding opposite the studio. Naz has been doing murals for years, but it’s not that easy in London to find huge expanses of virgin space to paint on. It’s fantastic to work in the studio and see the giant colourful mural through the open window.

An artist run space is difficult to define. Beyond the obvious: artists are at the forefront of the decision making, and the space as a whole is there to serve art and artists. And the way it’s run is not going to be the same as “institutional” or “commercial” space. But what about the ethos? That’s’ one thing we are trying to define here at Studio 75.

Now we are faced with the decision of “exhibit” or “make”? The space is nice, so we are either exhibiting or making, it’s difficult though not impossible to do both at the same time. The space is nice so it is tempting to host show after show, as we all have quite a bit of work that – for example – hasn’t been shown in London, or hasn’t been shown at all. But is that really what we should do? On the other hand, do we just want to be there, making stuff with no specific aim? When you’ve got a show booked,it gives you a sense of purpose,: you go to the studio and crack on till you get it right. When you don’t, a lot of noodling happens. Is noodling okay? Isn’t it a waste of an opportunity? Isn’t it just a luxury?

With these thoughts floating around out heads, we decided to clear the schedule and postpone what could be postponed and just keep the studio free for noodling for awhile. Cutting, sticking, slopping, blobbing, flibbering, widding, rogging, meeming, twapping, flupping and drithering – you know, that stuff artists do when they let themselves go and free to just make.

Most of London pretty much emptied out the past 2 weeks, aside from the bit around Westminster where the RW took place. A pity really, because Studio 75 mounted Prospero’s Library, quite an exceptional show of book art. However those who did come – whether writers or visual artists – unanimously said they were deeply inspired; some even said the show “sorted out” some ideas and problems they were having with developing some projects. That’s what we aim for – real engagement!

We’re going to run more book projects later this year.

Mikhail Pogarsky sold one of the books from Prospero’s Library to the Tate; it would be nice if more will follow ;-)